ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Urban Micro-Lungs Project in East Amman
Developed by renowned Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the method creates ultra-dense, highly biodiverse, multi-layered native forests that are 30 times denser, and which grow ten times faster than conventional plantation. With densely populated neighbourhoods, overburdened infrastructure, and little to no access to public and green spaces, two areas in East Amman were identified to pilot the Urban Micro-Lungs Project, a green infrastructure intervention initiated by GIZ’s “Improving Living Conditions in disadvantaged areas in Amman (ILCA)” project.
Challenges addressed
• Lack of green spaces in urban areas: which negatively impacts residents’ quality of life and well-being.
• Overburdened urban infrastructure: due to a high population density that places significant stress on urban infrastructure, leading to inadequate services and deteriorating living conditions.
Main objectives
• Improve environmental benefits: air quality, flood resilience, carbon sequestration, and soil regeneration.
• Enhance greening strategies in the city of Amman.
• Improve the well-being of inhabitants and promote climate resilience and urban justice.
External resources
Facts
Project type Urban climate resilience project
Partners Greater Amman Municipality and the Ministry of Environment
Beneficiaries Amman municipality
Dates 2020 – 2021
Website Improving green infrastructure in Amman
Project description
Through adopting the Miyawaki method, the project attempts to enhance greening strategies in the city of Amman. Based on the strong partnerships established with Greater Amman Municipality and the Ministry of Environment, and the implementation approach developed by ILCA, the Urban Micro-Lungs project provides a series of workshops and training sessions to build capacities of municipal staff and integrate the Miyawaki method in urban landscape design across the city. The project explores how authentic native wilderness can replace manicured artificial landscapes in dense urban settings. It calls for mainstreaming native species and creating maintenance-free mini-forests that optimize the use of limited water resources in the world’s second water-poorest country.
Yet this project is not solely about physical intervention. It revolves around the community living and working around the forest sites and attempts to establish a sense of ownership and responsibility towards the new-born public space. While it is very challenging, real solid transformation takes time. A series of community activation sessions have been arranged to raise awareness about the environmental benefits of green infrastructure. Community members and youth initiatives have also participated in the planting of native trees and shrubs, including men, women, children, and elderly residents.
To develop long-term engagement, the project also includes a junior rangers program involving youngsters in forest observation and growth monitoring for the first two years of establishment. As a learning opportunity, this program opens a window for children to know the native plants of their land, add their names to their vocabulary, and their forms and scents to their memory – gradually building local knowledge and long-lasting connections.
Impact and results
• The mini forests improve air quality, enhance flood resilience, regulate microclimates, and restore soil health, while sequestering carbon and supporting native biodiversity.
• The project fosters local ownership through planting sessions, awareness campaigns, and a junior ranger’s program for youth involvement in forest monitoring.
• Small green spaces act as urban micro-lungs, addressing pollution and water scarcity in Amman’s dense urban environment.
Publications & main documents
RELATED CONTENT
Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.
